TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Feb 12, 2025

A four-count indictment was unsealed yesterday in the Middle District of Tennessee, charging eight defendants with various offenses related to their roles in a transnational commercial sex enterprise. According to the court's press release, the defendants operated an illegal commercial sex and sex trafficking ring out of Nashville motels from July 2022 through March 2024. The indictment alleges that after facilitating the victims’ arrival in the U.S., the defendants used online commercial sex websites to post advertisements and directed commercial sex buyers to meet the victims at the motels. Authorities identified the individuals as members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang. In November 2024, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation warned that the gang was operating in major cities across the state. “This indictment demonstrates our commitment to stop human trafficking whenever and wherever we find it, and to hold those involved accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire.